Craig Breen is a talented and fearless rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for a number of teams, most recently Hyundai. He was the 2012 Super 2000 WRC champion and has 19 podium finishes.
He was admired and respected by his peers and fans for his skill, passion and sportsmanship. He tragically passed away in a testing accident in 2023, leaving behind a legacy of excellence and inspiration.
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- Full Name: Craig Breen
- Date of birth: February 2, 1990
- Age: 33 years old (at time of death)
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Slieverue, County Kilkenny, Ireland
- Nationality: Irish
- Occupation: Rally driver
- Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
- Parents: Ray Breen (father), Noreen Breen (mother)
- Siblings: Keith Breen (brother), Sarah Breen (sister)
- Spouse: Jennifer Beattie (married 2021)
- Children: None
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $4 million
Early life and education
Craig Breen, 33 at the time of his death, was born on 2 February 1990 in Slieverue, a village near Waterford in Ireland.
He is the son of Ray and Noreen Breen, who run a car dealership and a race car preparation business. He has an older brother, Keith, and an older sister, Sarah.
He grew up in a family passionate about motorsports and began racing karts at the age of eight. He won several national kart titles and moved on to rallycross in 2006.
He also attended De La Salle College in Waterford, where he excelled in both academics and sports. He graduated in 2008 and pursued a career in racing.
Personal life
Craig Breen is married to Jennifer Beattie, a Scottish footballer who played for Arsenal and Manchester City.
They met in 2017 and got engaged in 2019. They married in a private ceremony in Scotland in 2021.
They live in Andorra, a small country in the Pyrenees, where they enjoy skiing and hiking.
They have no children but have two dogs, Lola and Cooper. Breen is a devout Catholic and a Liverpool FC supporter.
He is also a fan of music and movies, especially the James Bond series. He is close to his family and friends and often visits them in Ireland.
Career
Craig Breen began his rally career in 2007, driving a Ford Fiesta ST in the Irish Fiesta Sporting Trophy.
He won the 2008 series and competed in the British Rally Championship (BRC) and the Fiesta Sporting Trophy International. In 2009, he switched to a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX and won the Irish Group N Rally Championship.
He also made his WRC debut, driving a Ford Focus RS WRC in Rally Ireland. He continued to compete in the BRC and Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in 2010, winning the latter in a Ford Fiesta S2000.
He also participated in several Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) and Super 2000 WRC (SWRC) races.
In 2011, Breen joined the Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team as a junior driver, driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC in six WRC events. He also competed in the SWRC in a Ford Fiesta S2000, finishing second in the standings.
He also won the WRC Academy, a series for young drivers, with six wins in six events. He was awarded the FIA Young Driver Academy Scholarship and Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Award for his achievements.
In 2012, Breen continued to drive for Ford in the SWRC, winning the championship with four wins. He also entered the IRC in a Peugeot 207 S2000, achieving two podiums.
However, his season was ruined by a tragic accident at the Targa Florio Rally in Sicily, where his co-driver and close friend Gareth Roberts died when their car crashed into a guardrail.
The loss affected Breen deeply, but he continued to rally in Roberts’ honor. He dedicated the SWRC title to Roberts and wore his helmet to every rally.
In 2013, Breen moved to the European Rally Championship (ERC), driving for Peugeot Racing Academy. He won the Acropolis Rally and finished third in the standings.
He also made a one-off appearance in the WRC driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC in Rally Finland.
He repeated his third place finish in the ERC in 2014, winning the Circuit of Ireland Rally and the Rallye International du Valais. He also entered WRC-2, a support class for the WRC, in a Ford Fiesta R5, taking two podiums.
In 2015, Breen moved to the Citroën Racing team, driving a Citroën DS3 R5 in the ERC and WRC-2 series.
He won the Liepāja Rally and the Circuit of Ireland Rally at the ERC, finishing second in the standings.
He also won the Rallye du Valais and Rallye du Var in WRC-2, finishing fourth in the standings. He also made his debut in the World Rallycross Championship (WRX), driving a Peugeot 208 WRX in the Italian RX World Rallycross Championship.
In 2016, Breen was promoted to Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT, driving a Citroën DS3 WRC in selected WRC events. He achieved his first WRC podium at Rally Finland, finishing third.
He also competed in WRC-2 with a Citroën DS3 R5, winning the Rally Sweden and Rally Poland. He also drove a Peugeot 208 T16 R5 in the ERC, winning the Circuit of Ireland Rally and the Rally Isle of Man.
In 2017, Breen continued to drive for Citroën in the WRC, driving a Citroën C3 WRC. He achieved four fifth places and finished the season in tenth place in the standings.
He also competed in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship with a Ford Fiesta R5 and won the Galway International Rally and the Easter Stages Rally.
In 2018, Breen remained with Citroën in the WRC, driving a Citroën C3 WRC. He took his second WRC podium at Rally Sweden, finishing second. He also finished fourth at Rally Mexico and Rally Finland. He finished the season eighth in the standings.
In 2019, Breen left Citroën and joined Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, driving a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in several WRC events.
He achieved two seventh-place finishes and one sixth-place finish. He also competed in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in a Ford Fiesta R5, winning the West Cork Rally and the Ulster Rally.
In 2020, Breen continued to drive for Hyundai in the WRC, driving the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in four events. He took his third WRC podium at Rally Estonia, finishing second. He also finished seventh at Rally Turkey, fourth at Rally Monza and fifth at Ypres Rally Belgium. He finished the season seventh in the standings.
In 2021, Breen drove for Hyundai in the WRC, driving the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in six events. He achieved two fourth places and one fifth place.
He also competed in the European Rally Championship with a Hyundai i20 R5, winning the Rally di Roma Capitale and the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. He finished the season in third place in the standings.
In 2022, Breen was confirmed as a full-time driver for Hyundai in the WRC, driving the Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
He had one podium, one fourth-place finish and one sixth-place finish in the first three events of the season, and was fourth in the standings before his fatal crash.
Death
Craig Breen died on 13 April 2023, aged 33, in a testing accident near Zagreb, Croatia. He was preparing for the 2023 Rally Croatia, the fourth round of the WRC season, when his Hyundai i20 N Rally2 crashed into a tree at high speed. He suffered serious head and chest injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His co-pilot, Paul Nagle, survived the crash with minor injuries. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the FIA and local authorities.
Breen’s death shocked and saddened the motorsport community, who had hailed him as one of the finest and most beloved drivers of his generation. His funeral was held in his hometown of Slieverue, where he was buried alongside co-driver Gareth Roberts.
Argumentative
Craig Breen was embroiled in controversy in 2018 when he was penalised for crashing into the chicane during Rally Sweden.
He was initially given a 10-second penalty, which was increased to 22 seconds after the Toyota team protested.
Social media
- Instagram Name: None
- Twitter Username: None
Net worth
According to various sources, Craig Breen has an estimated net worth of $4 million.
He earned his wealth through his successful career as a rally driver and endorsement and sponsorship deals.
He is sponsored by Hyundai, Michelin, Sparco, Bell Helmets and Red Bull.
